"Aang, what's the matter with you?" Katara asked her friend in concern. "I thought that your nightmares have stopped."
The Avatar looked thoughtful as he was holding the reigns of their flying friend. The previous bags under his eyes had vanished, but he was still silent. The clean blue sky above was a contradiction to the cloud beneath. That was a sneaky move in order to hide an enormous bison flying through the air. If they were to be spotted, it would ruin everything. Everyone sat in the basket on Appa's back, relaxed in their continuous voyage. The exchange made the other two to look at the two in curiosity. Aang perked up and looked back at his friend.
"Oh, it's nothing, Katara. I just...saw something strange while meditating."
"Just perfect, he found another reason to worry," Sokka grumbled, before being elbowed by Toph. "Hey!" He called and moved aside.
"What is it?" Katara kept asking.
"I was talking to Roku. I just needed the final word of advice. But suddenly we saw a blinding flash far away."
"That's it?" Exclaimed Sokka, before being nudged again. "Would you stop that?!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't seen you there," Toph responded with a smile. Somehow she had got closer.
"Seriously," the boy rubbed his hand. "It's a white light. So that's a good thing, right?"
Everyone just looked at him with dry expressions, but then Katara seemed to rethink it, albeit differently.
"But I think he got a point," she said suddenly. "Why do you think this way about one flash of light?" The girl looked at Aang.
"That's the thing...Roku seemed concerned about it. He said that such things happen only when the king appears."
Realization dawned upon everyone. There was only one person they knew who could take that title.
"So he actually did this," Sokka mumbled. "That's bad, that's really bad."
"It could be some other undead," Toph shrugged.
"I don't think so," Aang mumbled. "And if it is someone else...Roku told me that the Ghost Kings tend to be oppressive tyrants. Phantom doesn't seem like one."
"Aang," Katara sighed. "Just because he doesn't try to kill you doesn't mean that he is not a problem. He is still Azula's ally."
"I know," Aang bowed his head sadly.
To enter the following a day with a blasphemy against the morals, what a way to start. This was a long overdue occasion. It would end in less than an hour, Phantom tried reassuring himself. One hour of immense abhorrence, atrocity upon everything his newfound kingdom stood for and all would be done. He would be a free bird, roaming the entire expanse of the ever-growing world, able to rule it without any burdens on his shoulders. Not that it wouldn't leave a nasty aftertaste in his mouth. And the gut. And every fibre of his being in addition. Better not give it too much extra thought. Just put your head in the sand and pretend that all the destruction around hadn't been for naught.
A couple of sleepless nights separated him from the fateful moment. Why should he bothered now of all times? Probably because back then his interference was just a blip on the radar, a speck of sand on the front glass that was already broken beyond repair. Enough of self-pity. He had a lot of work to do those days, the people had to face their king in his entire might, not like some sort of angsty, sulky teenager.
Many visitors were flocking to the castle. Some were the local lords pledging their allegiance, hopeful that the new king would not turn out like the previous one. Phantom did not appear threatening, he was welcoming and polite to the people he met for the first time. His enemies so far had not paid him any visit, it was concerning, but not the priority to his mind. Near him always stood Demiurge, writing down every single word for the record and the future correspondence. His speed of writing was torturing the parchment and the pen in his boney fingers. Yes, pen. The quills and blood were kind of old fashioned. On the small pillar already was a considerable pile.
"Sir," Phantom said politely to the ghost in front of him. "I am aware of your people's predicament. I'll do what I can to regulate that dispute."
"Thank you, My Lord."
The visitor bowed and went downstairs from the elevated platform on which the throne stood. The flow of visitors had turned into a trickle and now finally dried out. Sighing, the King sat on his throne, tired of the job already. He turned to his chamberlain-secretary, who in turn put the final sheet on the pile, neatly packed, before moving his dark-glass spectacles up the nonexistent nose. Demiurge awaited for what his liege had to say.
"You got everything?" Phantom asked.
"Yes, sire, all shall be sorted by the names of the petitioners in different files, then put in the shelves sorting by date."
The king smiled. "Good one. Be ready to fetch them for me later, after I come back I'll get right to them."
"Of course, My Liege...Next you have a task of arranging the things with the nearest ghosts," Demiurge said, forestalling the following question.
"Ah, yes, to invite them to settle in my lands, I remember."
He then heard a cough on his other side. Turning to the left, Phantom faced Fright Knight. He just stood there, leaning on the guard of his sword pointed downwards. Despite how he looked, Fright, like any other ghost, was silent and utterly unnoticeable when he wanted, which was basically never until now as far as Phantom knew the dreadful specter. Smiling warmly, Danny rose from his seat and faced the ghost. They were, surprisingly, almost of the same height.
"Would you look at that," he said in a calm tone, despite the obvious sarcastic nature of the statement, "Is it the time already?"
"Yes, Phantom," the ghost declared curtly. "I have come to a decision."
"And that would be..." the king clasped his hands slowly.
"First I have to make certain inquiries. For I have realized how little is known to me about you."
"Well, I was born on October 13..."
"Not this kind," interjected Fright rudely. "What would you have me do?"
"I need a second in command. I already have a chamberlain, so paperwork is not to be your concern. But sadly Demiurge's name is quite ironic, because he, despite everything, is unable to go past the limits of my own intelligence. Being the extension of my being. Not to offend..."
"None taken, sire," the chamberlain responded, "It's counterproductive to be offended by truth."
"Heh, I've created him just right. But in any case, I need more people in my service. Pariah saw something in you, something I'm more than keen on uncovering."
"I make no secret of it. I have proved my prowess in battle. Being his servant I have quickly ascended in the ranks."
"I meant why he kept you still and sound and not just ended your existence when he had a chance...But truth be told, you do make a valid point. I require the ghosts who can act in any development on my quest to unite this world once again. Not only diplomats...but also those who can lead my armies to settle the issues in a harsher way. Mindless skeletons can only get you this far, you know, you used to lead them. Name your conditions, Fright. I can now grant you a lot."
"Any form of condition?"
Phantom sighed. "I admit, no war goes without killing. No matter how hard I tried to lower the deaths during the battles on the side of my allies, there were always corpses of those I was unable to restrain or knock out. Not my kills, but still. So...yes, my pacifist ideas won't be of any concern to you. That already answers numerous questions, as I'm giving you the right to act as you deem fit if I don't tell you otherwise. So, spill it out."
"All I demand, then, is the respect. Pariah saw me as a worm beneath his feet, Plasmius — as a pawn in his play of wit. If you turn out to be just like them, I will take my leave and reject. Reject your suggestions, vague promises without a second of doubt."
Phantom chuckled. "Have I been anything but throughout this discussion? As long as you serve me well, I think we will think up something nice. Is it decided then? Or should I also remove all the pumpkins in the entire domain as well?"
"That would be appreciated."
"I was kidding, but alright. No pumpkins allowed," Phantom chuckled, patting his belt. "So, what do you say?"
The Soul Shredder was taken from its sheath. It looked threatening, but Danny remained calm throughout the ordeal. Fright then put it horizontally, holding it on the two palms, before wordlessly kneeling before his new lord. The loud sound were created by the clanking armor, the purple flames on his back made it somewhat hard to get closer to him.
"I swear fealty to you, then, King Phantom. I shall slay your foes and bring terror upon their fold."
That was probably the main reason he agreed. Fright could now do whatever he wanted if the King degreed. Phantom chuckled at this thought, before speaking again.
"Rise, Fright. You already have the first task."
"Already?" The newest servant asked in surprise, as his eyes widened.
"Yep. One of my close neighboring lords threatens to bring his own soldiers here. To think that one pathetic ghost could challenge me already. I expect you to bring him to me tied up by this evening. He doesn't want to come willingly. I will kindly explain the things, but some people have to be taught a lesson that when the King summons you, you come one way or another."
Fright nodded. "It shall be done, milord. It is Lord Vect, I presume? He is insufferable."
"Yes, him. Now go and please quickly. There is one more thing we need to do this evening."
The ghost bowed his head, before vanishing from sight. Phantom smirked. Finally he had a general for his armies. Now it was time for Danny to leave for a visit to the singularly living ghosts, who weren't united under a powerful Lord. With them he spoke near their haunts, just to show that he was not like 'those guys'. He cared about their wellbeing, and he tried to utilize his entire charisma.
His small journey could be considered a success. The lands around were not filled with much inhabitants, the cursed keep and all that. They were brave to settle in close proximity, he had to admit. The ghosts showed interest and to say that they were stunned when the King knocked at their doors would be an understatement. Some were reluctant to settle in the domain of some backwards monarch, but upon realizing that it wasn't the case of Aragon's kingdom, decided to settle in. The only condition was not to build too modern exteriors so as not to turn the land into a sprawling, chaotic patch blanket.
Inviting the people and splitting the land was a time-consuming process. By the time he finished, Demiurge already proposed a plan for the first people's dwellings. A treasure, not a servant. But he was not a city planner, because Danny was not. The chamberlain had already sent the message to find one. But, as Phantom returned to the castle, the throne room was already visited by his newest subordinate. Fright was standing near the royal throne, alone, surprisingly.
Danny raised his eyebrow, descending from the air, as he was too lazy to use the staircase.
"Fright. Where is Lord Vect?"
Fright tapped on his sword, letting the message sink in. Upon realizing everything, Phantom nodded.
"Oh, well, bring him here now."
Immediately the ghost popped out of nowhere. To say that the conversation went less than politely would be a mistake. No, he was pissed, and required one choke and a couple of hard slaps to stop being a pompous fool first. Now he was listening, while still being one. Phantom argued with the Lord, who was still refusing the monarch's reasonable proposals. It went as far as accusing the petty ghost that he was challenging the authority. That did the trick, Vect was now backing down, knowing that otherwise he would be killed again without violating the law.
Finally, Vect was sent away, leaving the two ghosts alone. Phantom looked at Fright.
"Now when the last matter is out of the way, we can get to the big things."
"What is it?"
Phantom chuckled, before snapping the fingers. Once again a table appeared, as there was no point in walking to the office now. On the table lied two maps, to which Fright was not accustomed yet. The first one showed the map of the world that housed the half ghost for a couple of months, whilst the second one was showing the map of the city and the neighboring harbor.
"I've fetched the maps so we could prepare our operation."
Briefly explaining the matter to Fright, Phantom now awaited for the only general of his army to speak.
"They are on the level of both the outdated eastern weaponry and the modern one?" The ghost raised his invisible eyebrow. "That is entirely new."
"Fire Nation fits this definition," Danny clarified. "The rest are more of the first category. These are the ones we shall be fighting against. I have also, secretly, taken a couple of sabotaging acts. If the Fire Nation does everything by itself, our effort would be looked down upon. Their zeppelins are not going anywhere, I did warn them, fire bending bodes badly with the hydrogen."
"And you are out of suspicion?"
"Again, I did warn them. All of this is but a mere accident."
"You ARE basically killing them."
Phantom sighed in a strained way. "You are right. But I can only hope that it's otherwise. Maybe there are a lot of people I killed indirectly and never knew about. Moving on...once our opponents realize that all of this has been but my dearest friend's scheme, they would try to retreat. Obviously the same way they came. Which would be some sort of sea vessels. While the majority of their army is in the city, we will attack their rear and destroy their ships. None shall be left, there is no escape from the archipelago. Then. We will wait for them to come, we will finally do what is needed."
"The plan is simple. Nothing me and my sword cannot accomplish."
"Yes, I do believe you. Now...we shall land our forces on this hill..."
The clocks were ticking. Phantom was getting anxious with each passing hour. The crown was flickering on his head, rendering the sleepiness all but nonexistent. The power of the artifact flowed through him as an unstoppable stream, it was such an invigorating and energizing feeling. He never felt tired in these days, despite actually trying to sleep each time every given day. Oh, well, doesn't matter, he supposed. Phantom was given more time to spare or utilize, inspecting his armed forces deep below the surface. Them showing up outside would leave a wrong impression. He was deciding on whom he should send, as he possessed the soldiers from different ages, who died in anguish and despair, sadly losing their sentience in the process. Was it humane to utilize them? Well, they aren't going anywhere anyways, he was putting their remaining skills to use.
There were arquebuseers, musketeers and pikemen from the New age; Roman legions, one time lost in the forests of Germania or in the conniving sands of Egypt; Vikings, who had never seen the shining halls of Valhalla and instead were doomed for eternal service to the ruler of what they deemed to be Helheim; the majority consisted in the men fallen during the World wars, armed with guns left upon their corpses. Not all the dead were piled in the form of bones here, otherwise, even if those were not all corpses of the fallen, that tomb would have taken thousands of kilometers. Phantom could always raise more souls and give them some sort of resemblance at the expense of his own power.
The more modern the soldiers were, the more kills would be on his conscience, with how effective the weaponry was becoming. The attackers wouldn't be scared by arrows, though. Phantom just knew what had to be done, he would take the New age soldiers — a golden middle in his disposal. Better dress them up properly. It was not a battle he prepared for, it was going to be a slaughter. Renewed armors and coats, all black with silver trimming, were put on their thin bodies. The formation was so big that Phantom had to ride around it on a horse in order to inspect everything.
Now Danny stood before his forces, right below the splendid castle. The tall caverns were hiding in the darkness above, unreachable for the green torches. The steed below him was huffing and shifting impatiently. It didn't have armor on, unlike that of general. Only the caparison made of soft black material was on the horse's back besides the saddle. On it was the royal symbol, as he had nothing besides a flaming 'D', it would do for a while. The caparison was fitting the entire color scheme, covering the black steed, possessing leathery wings. The black head was also covered, only the sticking ears and the neon green eyes could be seen. Phantom had no need for armors on his horse, for reasons known only to him. Maybe he thought of the steed only as the means of transportation.
Fright was also riding his own. Nightmare was his name. It befitted the winged horse just perfectly. Armored heavily with the shining pieces of hard metal, with the blood red eyes blazing through. Battered, torn leather wings were outstretched proudly. Its green flaming mane was almost obscuring the view. The steed looked very muscular and bulky, especially in comparison with the royal one, which was obviously a choice in favor of maneuverability and elegance.
"What are we waiting for, my liege?" Inquired Fright impatiently.
"For the right moment," Phantom looked down at Demiurge. "What time is it?"
"Eight in the morning, m'lord."
"Hmm..." The king rubbed his chin. "Everything must have begun, but it would be better if one person scouted ahead."
"Are you suggesting that we wait more?" The general grunted.
"Yes. You of all people should know that the right moment brings victory."
"It does not imply that I am happy with this."
"Still, I'll go scout ahead. I have more chances of staying unnoticed."
The knight looked at his king with a dry look. "My lord, you are a glowing individual in a burning green crown, atop of the winged horse. With a black cape, white fur padding. You are as unnoticeable as a camel in the arctic."
Danny raised his eyebrow. "What a strange comparison. I'm still going, though."
He snapped his fingers, opening the tear between the worlds. "Be right back. Once the portal opens again, you go in and fight."
Phantom spurred the horse lightly, before trotting inside.
The dark caverns were replaced by the light of the sun reaching for its zenith. Danny raised his hand, attempting to shield his eyes, unused for such brightness yet. Blinking a couple of times, the king jumped at hearing the explosion. He wasn't far, landing precisely where he had intended to. It was one of the edges of the enormous volcano, in which the capital lied. From below he was but a small dot, but he could see the battle far away. Shifting on his seat, Phantom reached for the small bag situated on his horse's side. Taking out a binocular, he looked there in all the details.
So, the landing was commenced by using peculiar machines. He had missed the beginning, so the spearhead of the invasion had already reached to the middle of the huge Royal Plaza. The wide road of white stone was leading to the serpentine slithering to the city. It was the path the attackers had reasonably chosen. It's not like they all could fly to the city, they had to go up there like anyone else. The ensuing battle involved a lot of bending, fire-breathing tanks and some earthbending-powered tanks on theother side. They multi-segmented tracked vehicles powered by four earthbenders from the seems of it. Articulated in the middle, the tanks reared up and crushed objects in their way. The treads were made of plates of earth strung together by a metal wire, allowing the earthbenders to control the tank. These vehicles can house many troops and cross almost any terrain. Their armor was highly resistant to fire, making them ideal for assaults on enemy positions. The tanks sported side hatches that opened up so that those inside can launch projectiles at enemy troops. Being made of very strong metal, they could also be used as barricades to protect warriors. And that they had done.
Under the massive bombardment from the defensive forces they had formed a wall, planning to regroup. Just a little longer. Then Phantom would bring down his blow. But what shall he do next? Probably find Azula in order to coordinate the attack. But damn it, try to come across her in that mess, you would end up smashed by a rock or burnt to a crisp by that moment. Phantom hummed in thought, becoming intangible and thus phasing through the rocks falling on him. That was an atrocious miss. He kept thinking up a scheme, being fully knowledgeable and enthralled in the schemes of the princess. Danny attempted to remember every little piece, so as not to fail.
Then he noticed a small dot high in the sky. At the more precise glance Phantom noticed that it was the glider that only one person in that world was capable of using. Danny knew where to go, after all, besides thwarting the kid's efforts, he also could see the harbor from above. He and his horse moved up the volcano as the steed was also capable of flight. Getting to the top in no time, Phantom watched Aang move in the direction of the palace. Meanwhile he took notice of how deserted the city was. The princess had done her job well. Upon landing close to the palace himself, Danny quickly trotted through the streets, strangely quiet despite what was going out of the boundaries of the capital.
Once he was passing, from nowhere emerged a fiery blast, one which the king easily blocked at the wave of his hand. Several black-armored soldiers jumped from the cover, but before they could do anything, they were stunned at what they were seeing.
"Next time," Phantom dusted his pauldron. "Ask before attacking the Ghost King," he said dryly.
That did it, the soldiers actually paled. The more they stood nearby, the more frightened they were becoming.
"Your Majesty!" One of them said loudly. "We are sorry, we know only of rumors, not how you look..."
"We have no time to lose," Phantom interrupted urgently, his voice loud and echoing. "Tell me everything about the goings and, please, make it quick."
It turned out they didn't know anything at all, what a waste of precious time. The soldiers still had to obey him, as there were no orders telling them otherwise. So they just returned to their posts, waiting for the actual enemy. Easily phasing through the gates, he leaped into the palatial grounds, just as empty. And as he was passing, the glider once again flew far over him, making the half ghost growl. God damn it, he had to at least make them go deeper, they must not realize the trap until it is too late. One little shot above. Aang did not expect the fire from the ground to ever reach them, so suddenly no less. But it was not a fire, and he had to softly land near the wall, baffled at what just happened.
"Having fun?"
Aang spun around, before freezing at the sight of the ghost king. Guess his appearance was off putting indeed. The wind just had to make his pitch black cape flow menacingly.
"Who are..."
"Take a wild guess," Phantom grinned, shifting the steed, to whom the glance of the airbender darted occasionally.
"Phantom!"
Danny clapped his hands slowly, making a clanking sound. "Congratulations," he smirked. "You are actually one of the few who were able to guess."
"What are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" The king raised his eyebrow. "Repaying my final debt. Your little invasion was doomed to failure."
"Why...how did you know about this?"
"In the Library of Wan Shi Tong, one naive professor didn't watch his mouth enough. Besides, the Earth King is just as keen on spilling the beans."
"And you prepared," Aang concluded grimly.
"Azula did, my job is to merely assist. So...I guess we'll have to fight for that."
"You don't have to!" Shouted the Avatar. "I need to go, just leave it."
"Are you seriously asking for this?" Phantom blinked. "Didn't know you were of such high opinion of me. But going back to square one is no use..." then an idea occurred to him. "Yet...yes, you may go."
Aang was surprised that actually worked. He unrolled the glider again, it wasn't seriously damaged, he could still fly.
"One more thing, Avatar," Danny said, making Aang look back. "The palace has an underground labyrinth of the caverns. The Fire Lord may be hiding there within a bunker."
"How would you know?"
"Azula told me. And I knew about the bunker's existence already. Ta!"
Aang jumped and flew off. Phantom meanwhile smiled. All was going just fine.
He followed the Avatar from below, quickly moving on his steed. Phantom very slightly lagged behind, stopping once again at the road upwards. The soldiers around somehow already learned about him. Damn, the communication was perfect around here. Phantom looked from above at the entrenched warriors, wondering about what he should do.
"Y-Your Majesty, do you need us to do something?" The commander asked.
Danny looked questioningly at the gates below, the ones which led to the serpentine. They had broken through, starting to go up. The familiar glider once again was in the air, and Phantom knew that the kid took the bait.
"Shall we shoot him, sire?"
"No," Danny said to the shock of many. "Let them go. We have another fish to fry. Literally. Keep shooting! The timing should be perfect," he mumbled.
Phantom finally jumped down the horse, approaching the edge of the cliff. They had to get far enough so as to prevent the enemy from retreating. He wasn't enthusiastic about using the blade on his belt. Was he actually going to kill anyone? Danny wasn't sure. Many people below would die at his direct orders, so there was no escaping it. His hand shook a bit as he unsheathed the sword, taking a deep sigh. It glistened with a deathly green color, reflecting the sun rays. He gripped the blade tighter. Do it, the voice in his head said. And he would never ever face the same dilemma ever again.
"Issue a retreat."
"What?! Sir, we are holding them just fine!"
"I said, retreat. I'll do everything myself."
The commander nodded, before running to the small tower. He picked up a horn and blowed it for all its worth. The soldiers below heard that and unquestionably moved up the road, much to the thrill of the attackers, who were now shooting at their backs.
"That's strange," Katara commented, shifting a hold on her limping father. He had short brown hair with a small ponytail, with a beard and blue eyes. Like all soldiers of the Water Tribe he was wearing a blue armor which had white patterns on it.
"They probably want to evacuate to a better position. The eclipse is soon," Hakoda muttered, attempting to stand on his own once again and failing. "Keep moving, but watch out!" He shouted.
"Hakoda!" Someone from the soldiers yelled as he approached him. At the wordless question, the man only pointed at the sky.
Phantom descended from there, his glowing eyes watched the attackers with an amused expression. No matter how many times people were surprised at seeing him like this, he would never get tired of this.
"Well, hello there!" He smiled, standing right in their way.
"What. The heck," Katara mumbled, but even Phantom was not able to pick that up.
"Let's be brief. To get through you will have to pass me," Danny made a fencing motion. "Come and get there. And I'll see how you fare against the Ghost King."
At these words the crown burned more intensely. Shaking off their initial surprise, the united forces lunged forward. And thus the fight to test the newfound power began.
The first wave of the simple spearmen was faced by a huge wave of energy, following the sword at the slashing motion. It knocked the entire regiment like rag dolls, all around, hitting the rocks, other soldiers and the metal walls of their improvised tanks. From the inside emerged the earth benders, who launched the rocks at him. One was phased through, before Phantom punched another, crumbling it into parts. He charged a blast into the bastard who dared to show his face from behind the metal walls. He saw a torrent of water coming his way.
His eyes glowed blue, before double beams emerged from them, freezing the water and making an extra obstacle on the path of the invaders. Even more non-benders ran his way, the sword of the king burst into emerald flames. The first attacker clashed the blades, Phantom broke the approaching spear with his bare hand like a twig, before tossing him aside and knocking over some more men, all the while blocking the hits of the swordsman. A strong punch of the fist encased in a gauntlet was enough to get rid of such thing as consciousness and a couple of teeth. Another slash in the air did not let surround him, Phantom even exploded some more rocks flying his way. The shards hit only the allies, as the king put up a shield.
"Is that all you've got?" He shouted, before blasting that damn tank with all he had.
The explosion torn away the frontal metal plate, as well as earning the concussion to the people in close proximity. That would get rid of the pesky annoyance for a while. Now, when he had their undivided attention, it was time for this beast to shut its jaw.
In the harbor were still the submarines used for getting into the Fire Nation territory. Several soldiers were standing there just in case. In that there was little point, for they wouldn't be able to do much if the Fire Nation would magically get there. What gave them confidence is the fact that the only way into the city was also the only way out. Either side was stuck there, so there was no fear about being attacked. They were about to be sorely disappointed. Right in front of them appeared a giant green vortex, and many did not have enough time to even see the emerging threat.
Loud cracking sounds of exploding gunpowder were the harbingers of their swift deaths. Ironic turn of events that the people were reminiscent of Indians in subtle ways (as those similarities were shared with the Northern tribes of Siberia and America as well). For now they faced the Spanish weaponry, much more advanced than their pitiful arrows. The advance was conducted on two sides of the portal, and each regiment followed the formation laid by their commanders during their lives. Formed into a hollow square, the pikemen, with their weapons threateningly standing tall in their firm two-handed grips, presented a wall that was hard to penetrate. Within the square stood the swordsmen. And in the corners outside stood the regiments armed with arquebuses, smoking after the recently made shots.
On his horse Fright went out of the portal, before it closed behind them. He unsheathed his sword, before yelling an order to advance. He put half of his forces to form a wall on the way of the forces that were to retreat. Another half kept firing at the people near the submarines, not leaving them any chance of surviving the ordeal. The soldiers hid within the transports, unknowing that the ghosts had something for that as well. The cannons were rolled out. Ignition, a series of deafening explosions, many cannon balls flew towards the submarines, engulfed in green flames. Seeing this business being taken care of, Fright looked up at the road, wondering about what was to come next.
Phantom meanwhile lifted the attackers in the air, before tossing them away with a bored expression. He was far from being pushed backwards. On the contrary, it became evident that the teen was too powerful for them, he was merely toying with them, without ever bothering to kill once. Although the people lying around were seriously wounded. The Fire Nation soldiers just watched with marvel, glad to be away from the fighting. Danny laughed at their pitiful efforts, alright, he enjoyed his unstoppable power more than he had any right to. No wonder Pariah got mad from this. Now this nagging thought tapped on his mind. He would think about this later.
"Come now, start fighting already!" He shouted, before the sounds of cannons reached his ears, making everything clear to him. The clocks were ticking. And speaking of the clock, the moon disk touched that of the sun. "Get lost and go where you came from! I'm still merciful. You are about to lose the chance."
"Not. A chance, you piece of filth!" Hakoda limped forward, seeing as many of his men were reluctant about repeating the advance. "We will not retreat!" Katara came in to help him, to prevent him from falling, all the while she glared balefully at the king.
"I never said anything about retreating. You better just surrender. The eclipse is near and you are likely to fail...but my job here is done," Phantom gave an ominous laugh, that sent shivers down their spines. Then he vanished, still laughing.
"What shall we do, Hakoda?"
The soldiers understood that their time was running out. Now they wouldn't be able to reach the centre in time because of that nuisance. It was a big concern whether or not he had disappeared to not be seen again. Or had decided to just wait out. But there was no time for pondering. They moved to attack the Fire with what had remained.
Desperation, Danny concluded. They had bet everything on this strike, and that feeling could give extra boost to both bravery and stupidity. Which one of those was more prevalent at the moment was quite complicated to guess. What he could not deny is that the actions of the attackers were far from being thoroughly planned. Unlike his own. Now floating high above the ground, he could see that the attack on the ships was successful.
He simply returned to his second in command. The soldiers immediately stood still in a single motion. Not that it wasn't done on his own will. Fright looked at his King, who was on his horse again, stopping near the ghost of terror.
"What will you do?"
"Wait."
The battle was not going well for the Fire Nation anymore. Too relaxed, they were. And when the attack came to them, it just showed the sheer incompetence of the local soldiers. The ghosts did sweep the shore, the ships were sunk and the meager escapists were not their concern. Phantom meanwhile sat and contemplated on the options of his further actions. And as he was thinking, he was nudged slightly. He looked questioningly at Fright, who merely pointed above. Danny looked up and instantly regretted doing so. The sun crown burned his eyes.
"Damn it, you could have warned me!"
In response Fright only laughed. And here Phantom thought that the guy was incapable of any emotions of this kind. The eclipse had begun. The shroud of darkness had befallen on the land, and only the ring above gave any sort of light.
"Check your watch, gentlemen," Danny called to everyone around, albeit he was the only one with the clock. So, it begins.
The ghosts were waiting. That insufferable waiting made less than ten minutes seem like eternity to the very impatient teen. Danny kept looking through the binoculars, but it was largely pointless, because it was, well, dark. Sighing, he put the useless device away. He then leaned on the neck of his horse, resting and childishly waving his leg. There was no point in pretending to be what he wasn't when no one could even see him. Unbeknownst to him, Fright did have a proper vision. He rolled his eyes, preferring to ignore the act. Phantom sighed and stood straight, before he saw the moon losing its grip on the shining disk.
"Finally!" He groaned. "Now, soldiers, prepare. Now comes the final accord of this grande spectacle. Now we have to wait for them to realize their...what the hell."
The zeppelins. The balloons. They were in the air despite all his best efforts. Who knew they checked them every once in a while? Should have left nothing intact. In contrast to the small, two-man crew war balloons, the Fire Nation airships were enormous vessels, comparable to Fire Nation cruisers in size, composition, and crew complement. The structure was made entirely of metal and can carry at least fifty crew members. These war machines were powered by hot air and employ multiple propeller sets on the sides of their hulls for propulsion. They were extremely long and were adorned with an ornamental dragon's head to instill fear into enemy forces. Doesn't matter, Danny saw the attackers rushing for their boats down the cliff. Phantom tapped on his armor. Here comes the hardest part, when he was to give the final order. Would he have enough guts to say one single word? Do it, damn it, your men already killed some of them, and on your own orders, no less.
On the one hand it was good that he had held them back, they saw the zeppelins sooner and turned back accordingly. It made him feel disgruntled. Some balloons with hot air seemed more terrifying to them than the undead king. Is loathing everything he got? It was mildly infuriating. Not that he wanted to be feared by everyone, but it was somewhat insulting.
Phantom ordered to go invisible. The entire legion vanished from view, which was a sight to behold. The previous statement was kind of ironic. Then he saw a familiar flying bison flying away, far on the distance. Well, he had no way to counter that. He could, hypothetically, shoot it down, but he couldn't be bothered. Once again, that wasn't his problem. Yet, his eyes were more glued to the balloons. They weren't slowing down above the attackers, they kept going further. Something was clearly wrong, it even distracted Phantom from apprehending his enemies. Then, they dropped bombs.
The earth benders made shields, summoning them from the ground. Phantom, furious beyond all measure, flicked his hand, and the green dome absorbed the explosions above his own forces, not even a minute had passed. It could not be a mistake. The attackers were far enough from the ghosts for it to be a simple misfire. The fire benders above the ground shot at both sides, fully enjoying the lack of any nuisance in the sky, both natural and human-wise. The bombs were dropped, as the zeppelins could only get you this far. Only the fire benders kept shooting, and that was enough for Phantom to step outside of his own hideout.
"ENOUGH!" He bellowed so loud that the people on the balloons stopped in shock for a moment. "Shall you not cease fire against your ally, we will retaliate!" Everyone, even the attackers buried beneath the rocks could hear that.
But they had orders to fire at the both. After all, what could he possibly do to them? Phantom now knew perfectly well that if even after a warning they didn't not stop...well, it was all planned. Damn Fire Lord. His hair began to flow intensely, the crown fit the scorching whirlwind within him, its green tongues of flame touched the edges of his stark hair. Phantom floated above the ground, somewhere between the airships and the ground. The fire blows hit him dead on, but didn't even leave a scratch. His eyes blazed with such an intense green light that the pupils were gone. Everyone was far from eager to see what he was about to do. His hand glowed, before he grinned widely.
"I knew my love for space would pay off," he mumbled.
From nowhere the airships were hit by a barrage of huge, flaming boulders fell like a rain, so intense and terrifying that the sky itself was barely seen behind the rubble, the smoke, the tongues of flames engulfing the meteorites he had summoned amidst the fighting. The event of such scale now obeyed his mere will. The rocks hit the airships, penetrated the metal, went inside the surface and the entire zeppelins blew up, unable to learn from the disaster. The one to which the only response was the call for humanity, and Hindenburg was the coffin for the age of zeppelins.
The falling space objects destroyed everything on their wake, buildings, walls, the ground was mottled with the meteorites. The falling, blazing airships on the verge of explosion, the never ending rain and Phantom floating amidst that chaos and destruction, orchestrating that opera, where the music was played by the loudest drums in existence, where the singers were on these very ships, screaming in terror. And it was in that moment, when he instilled horror into the hearts of everyone present. Fright watched all of this from below the green dome, and at this instant he understood. It was his King, the one whose power shall never be questioned.
Nothing left of the flying fleet. Not a single one remained in the air, the ground below him could barely be seen under the debris, even two sides of the conflict were separated by the destruction. His power surge vanished, and now he could see the results of his work. Oh, after this he was going to chat with the Fire Lord. Agonizingly. He then was struck with realization. He killed his soldiers. He killed them all.